Here Comes the Sun
by PurpleDuckyKnowsNothing
Summary: Erisol, Modern Boston college au. Inspired mostly by songs. Eridan and Sollux continually run into one another whilst in their studies, and things go pretty much as you'd expect.
1. Chapter 1-Brighter

The light crept through the slot between the drapes and the sill, filtering through the dark room almost as if it was afraid to shine. It dully glinted off the metal lid of Sollux Captor's laptop, the computer pieces scattered across the floor, and the rest of the matte metallics in the room. Strewn amongst the technology was clothing, bottles, and several game DVDSs. Curled up beneath a red and blue honeycomb pattern bedspread, Sollux lay, hands twitching in restless sleep.

The messy room and it's occupant dwelled in unkempt placidity until a harsh alarm buzzer sprang to life. A thin hand snaked out from under covers and blindly entered the passcode to open the phone and shut off the alarm. The rest of the body attached to the hand stirred, and eventually sat up, stretching once before Sollux threw himself out of bed. His fingers raked through a layer of clothes on the floor, eventually pulling out a pair of jeans which he then yanked on and stumbled out of the door fastening. He shoved his feet into a mismatched pair of black and white sneakers, and pushed his way outside, dragging a tattered backpack and computer bag behind him.

The border of lights ringing the mirror blared brightly, adding to the light already pouring out of the room. It flashed upon the shining mirror decals upon the wall and leapt off of rings and other assorted jewellery piled onto a dresser top. The closet door hung open slightly, with rows of clothing jammed inside. Two large bookshelves towered in the corner, holding rows of books and trinkets. Leaning over the counter in order to get his face closer to the mirror, Eridan Ampora methodically pushed a comb through his hair.

Finally seeming pleased, he made a self-satisfied moue and sprayed mousse all around his head. Nodding, he put down his products and swung himself out of the bathroom. At his dresser, he selected three rings and slid them on, flexing his fingers with approval. He surveyed himself once more, double-checking that the sunflower yellow shirt was cheery and not garish. The sun emblem on his chest almost seemed too much, but he evidently decided not because he draped a scarf about his neck and slid a satchel over his shoulder, strutting out of his door and to the outside.

The clouds were scattered thickly across the Boston skyline this morning, and Sollux was distractedly grateful that the low light meant he could see his phone easily without bringing the brightness up. He slid his feet through the early fall leaves littering the ground, and yawned. Class was in ten minutes, but hopefully the elevator would be working this morning. As he crossed the street, he looked up only to blink in surprise. His feet pushed him up onto the sidewalk and he stared in bewilderment at the boy sipping something and adjusting a scarf. His eyes dropped to the boy's shirt, he seemed almost mesmerised by the symbol in the middle. His teeth grabbed at his bottom lip before his phone buzzed insistently and the spell was broken. Shaking his head, he hunched his shoulders and pushed open the doors to the tall building, nodding at the doorman. "Hey, TV."

"Oh, hey, Sollux, how are you doing with things?" Sollux shuddered for a moment and then shrugged. "Tired. How else?" He jabbed at the button for the elevator and slumped against the wall to wait, slinking inside the elevator and then slamming his eyes open as he saw the bright yellow once more just before the doors slid shut.

Eridan strode along the sidewalk, taking in the sight of the park this morning. He generally enjoyed a sunnier dawn, but he tilted his head to appreciate the trees and skyline nonetheless. Walking through the paths of the grassy central area was a familiar experience to him. He stopped at a favoured café to grab a cup of Earl Grey, and sipped it as he stepped outside, redraping the scarf about his shoulders, and he looked up to see a boy almost dash away from him. Pursing his lips, he raised his eyebrows indignantly. Eridan rolled his eyes and then strode to the doors, stalking past the doorman without a second glance. He walked to the elevators only to swear irritatedly as the one in front of his slid it's doors shut and was gone. He swept his fingers over the up button, and tapped his foot impatiently.

Sollux snickered to himself as the elevator moved upwards, remembering how Feferi had once compared it's cheery robotic noises to the way Wall-e said his name. He tipped his head back until it rested against the walls, trying to let himself focus on something productive or at the very least positive. For some reason his mind kept centring on the boy with the sunny shirt, like a magnet that he was powerless to change or deny. Thinking to himself, Sollux allowed himself to indulge in a rare moment of poetic contemplation.

"It was like…a vision…" he mumbles, immediately shaking his head and shutting himself up. He rolled his eyes at his own frivolity and took a deep breath, stepping out onto his floor and making his way into a room with an elaborately configured news station set. He wove his way through the various cameras, along with the equipment placed around it, taking his seat at a computer desk, nodding at the bubbly looking anchor.

When the doors finally slid open once more, Eridan strode in, pressing the button carefully and checking his reflection in the shine of the metal. He pursed his lips, thinking back to earlier when he'd seen someone practically trip over the sidewalk across from him.

"What an idiot." He murmured to himself. Spinning on his heel as the elevator whooshed open, his boots clicked on the floor as he made his way along the corridor. Entering a classroom, he carefully took a seat in the third row and began to carefully arrange his notebook, pens, phone and other accoutrement.

"And be sure to join us tomorrow for another follow-up of the election! This is Feferi Peixes, see you soon!"

Sollux reached up to slide his glasses back into place on his nose, finishing up the broadcast.

"Nice work, FF." She smiled brightly, hopping off of the stool behind her desk, and shooting a grin to the camera operator. "Thanks, Sollux! You did great too!" He quirked an eyebrow. "You know that all I do is push buttons, right? It's not like it's difficult."

She shook her head firmly. "Everyone has an important job and we're all talented people!" Sollux nodded slowly, his face a mix of fondness and exasperation. Slinging his bags over his shoulder, he flipped the machinery off and gave Feferi a sarcastic salute.

"Are you going so soon?"

"Yeah, I want to grab lunch before heading to the lab." He walked out, sliding his headphones up around his ears and pulling his phone's music app up. Slinking down the hallway and out the door, he slid the zipper of his hoodie up and down in an absentminded, vaguely nervous tic.

"For Monday, please finish your compositions on a cultural movement in Europe, and do not neglect proper formatting when creating your citations. Enjoy your weekends, all, and be responsible!"

Eridan carefully slid back in his chair, neatly gathering his materials from his desk and slotting them methodically into his bag. He lingered by his desk to input the homework in his phone. Opening the front facing camera, he became distracted checking on his reflection.

"Eridannnnnnnn, could you be any MORE self-absorbed?"

He twisted to sneer archly at the classmate responsible for the snarky comment. "I suppose I could start emulatin' you, Vris…"

She scoffed, stalking out and tossing dyed-blue hair behind her. Eridan rolled his eyes and raked his hand through his bangs once more, smoothly making his way out of the door. As he carefully strutted down the hallway, he gently placed earbuds in, cautious not to tangle his hair. Tracing the line of his wire down over and over, he stepped into the elevator once more.

Sollux stepped out into the sun again, blinking in irritation at the sudden brightness. He slid his hood up, manoeuvring it around his headphones and ducking his head to let the fabric block the shine. Peeking his eyes out to check the 'walk' sign he was met with a sudden burst of yellow and collided into someone.

Eridan flung the doors open and strode into the light, breathing in the rays of the sun and the aromatic scent of the coffee shop next door. He turned his face up, stretching his fingers out, akin to a cat luxuriating in the warmth. Spinning on his heel, he began to glide fluidly toward the crosswalk, when out of seemingly nowhere a tall, hooded figure slammed into him.

"W-what?!"

"The FUCK?!"


	2. Chapter 2-Hate Myself

Eridan curled up in an armchair, arranging his steaming chai and biscotti next to him. He bit at his lip before mentally chastising himself and releasing the skin from his teeth. Mental unease took another route as fingers scrabbled along his binder as Eridan stared out at the cloudy grey skies, unseeing eyes a thousand miles away. He tried over and over to return his mind to his book, his last class, his tea…but all he could do was think of Friday afternoon. His collision with the absolute jerk on the corner…the tall, and infuriating jerk on the corner.

He slammed his eyes open and shut, reaching to take a large gulp of his drink and spitting it out, burning his tongue.

"Shit!" he spat, embittered. Picking up a pencil and flipping open a journal, he began to let the graphite slide over the paper. After several deep breaths, Eridan had finally calmed down, until he noticed that his doodles were a mismatched pair of eyes.

"GODDAMN!"

Sollux yanked tired fingers through greasy hair and kept typing, the code inching along at a gruelling pace on the screen. He braked to reach behind him, cocooned in his nest of blankets and clothes, hooking fingers around the rim of a energy drink and tipping the remaining swallows into his mouth. He shook his head, and tried to refocus his eyes on the monitor. It didn't help that he was in a dim room and hunched over like a gremlin with his laptop precariously balanced on a chair in front of him, but the real distraction wasn't the poor lighting. It was the inexplicable pull of his mind towards the events of Friday afternoon. Slamming into that pompous asshole by the crosswalk…that delicate, and maddening asshole by the crosswalk.

He hissed air out through his teeth in an animalistic display of irritation at himself, forcing his hands to return to the keyboard. He caught a key by the edge and accidentally yanked it up, sending it flying to the side.

"Piss off!" he muttered to the key, picking it up and jamming it back into place. He swept a hand over the restored alphabet and began to code again, until he realised he was typing "yellow sun shirt" over and over.

"MOTHERFUCKER!"

"And be certain to maintain that average, it's bad enough that you're insistent on keeping your minor."

"Yeah, Father."

"Do NOT allow distractions to keep you from your studies, and act responsibly, if you sully the company name I'll cut you off without a moment's doubt."

"Got it, Father."

"I should think you can—Your mother desires to speak with you one moment please."

"Okay, Father."

"Eridan? Eridan be safe out there you know we're only a phone call away there are horrible people who live in the slums."

"Mother, please I'm literally four seconds away from the Boston Commons, I hardly think it's—"

"Don't talk back to me! Be SAFE AND ADULT goodbye."

Click.

Eridan sighed deeply, slipping his phone carefully into his right pocket and muttering "Bye to you too, Mother" as he picked his way across a leaf-littered sidewalk. Re-adjusting the straps of his bag, he carefully pressed the button on the corner before getting caught up in the memories of what had occurred at the same corner only days before.

"Why the fuck… are you still in my head ….you goddamn lunatic…" Eridan murmured a singsong curse against the strange man who had crashed into him, only stopping as he realised he was eliciting curious stares from his fellow pedestrians. He pulled his scarf further up over his face, a lame attempt to disguise himself. The light turned and he hurried his way over, his boot's slight heels clacking against the pavement.

Sliding his card through a scanner in the door, he nipped inside the building and stalked haughtily past the doorman over to the elevators up to the dorms.

Sollux slid fingertips over his phone, a halfway smirk belying his amusement at the blue trail his words left on the keyboard application.

"Tell MT that I'll visit in two weeks I need to stay here next weekend for KK's stupid ass party."

Moments later, vibrations alerted him to a response.

"Anytime, bro! Have a RAD TIME =]]]"

He snorted softly at Latula's slang. His brother might love her, but Sollux could never really see past the 90s obsession.

Cracking his neck carelessly to the side, he chucked his phone into his pack. Sollux moved beyond his doorway where he was lingering to slunk down the hallway. He made his way into the library and reluctantly flipped open the cover of his textbook. He drew his phone back out of his bag, rocking it back and forth on the table, the clunky design of his phone case serving as a fulcrum. His mind returned to a familiar place of anxiety, guilt tripping through his thoughts when he imagined his brother's reaction to the news. The phone clacked against the table, and he slammed a hand down on the table when someone the next row over glared balefully at him.

Sollux pursed his lips and began to read through chapter 17. After several long and mentally painful more chapters, he let the book fall closed and he shoved everything back into his bag. He stood up hastily and stretched in a forced and speedy manner. His mismatched shoes scuffed along the floor and back to the elevator to his room.

Eridan took off his shoes slowly and with quiet, intentional movements. His thoughts were totally nonlinear, they leapt from point to point like an angsty constellation. His parents…his studies…that one random person he collided with…his roommate…that guy he crashed into…his home life…the total jerk who slammed into him…the irritating noise of construction outside…how the stranger was tall enough to tower over him…

Groaning and flinging a hand over his eyes, he slumped into a chair before straightening his spine in a well-rehearsed motion. He stood up, rolling his shoulders back and striding purposefully over to the bookshelf. He nodded to himself as he read the familiar names. He ran his finger knowingly along the spines, manicured eyebrows creasing with irritation. "Do I not fucking posses a single copy of…" he trailed off, lips sealing in annoyance. Tilting his head cattily to the left, he walked back over to his things and slid the door open, walking out into the light.

Sollux shucked his shoes off at the door, dumping his bag on the ground and deciding to faceplant onto his bed.

"The FUCK is wrong with you, asshat?"

"I have a shitty roommate who doesn't shut the hell up."

"That's REALLY goddamned way to deal with your long-suffering roommate who is only trying to help whilst ailing from this disease called friendship."

"I'm just really busy, KK. That's it, okay?"

Karkat glowered both angrily and with platonic concern over at him. Sollux ignored him and continued try and breath through the pillows. After finding out that this was destined to be an unsuccessful venture, he flipped over and crinkled his brow in thought. He somehow pinwheeled himself up into a standing position, and took the two steps forward before crumpling back to the ground, and perusing the collection of books shoved into a crate at the foot of his bed.

"KK do we have any other books?"

Sollux's roommate took a moment, giving his features time to arrange themselves into the most incredulous expression that they were capable of creating.

"Why, Sollux Bernard Captor! I am utterly shocked! Completely bamboozled! Thoroughly—"

"Shut. The fuck. Up."

"Very well, Sollux, if you MUST know, I happen to have a rather large collection of…high…quality books of a specific genre in which I am aware there is no interest for you. I also have my schoolbooks. Of which also serve no use to you because I happen to be a global studies major. Or did you forget that?"

Sollux growled in severe irritation and pushed himself up once more.

"I need a book that I will actually enjoy."

"Fucking a, why?"

Sollux slammed a hand down on his desk. "Because apparently no other distractions work. And studying is too much work. So. I guess I have to go fucking book shopping."

Eridan turned a sharp corner, winding his way into a side street and finally flinging open the door of a second-hand bookstore, only to be met face to face (well, collarbone) with a vaguely, excruciatingly familiar shape.

Sollux double-checked the directions on his phone for the closest bookshop and crossed a street, mentally running through the avenue names and taking the appropriate turns. Perhaps it was his very anxiety about getting lost that caused him to check his phone once more, which was why his next moment was a collision and a bizarrely memorable squawk.

"W-what the HELL?"

"OH MY FUCK"


End file.
